Securian Asset Management Inc. Decreases Position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Key Points

• Securian Asset Management reduced its HCA Healthcare stake by 45.4% in the fourth quarter, leaving it with 4,344 shares worth about $2.03 million.
• Several other institutional investors have recently increased their HCA holdings, and 62.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutions.
• HCA posted quarterly EPS of $7.15, slightly below estimates, while revenue came in at $19.11 billion and rose 4.3% year over year; the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.78 per share.

Securian Asset Management Inc. cut its position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) by 45.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 4,344 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,611 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $2,028,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of HCA. Viking Global Investors LP raised its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 58.5% in the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 1,872,133 shares of the company's stock worth $717,214,000 after buying an additional 690,773 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at approximately $115,530,000. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI lifted its position in HCA Healthcare by 3,755.9% during the third quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI now owns 269,912 shares of the company's stock valued at $115,036,000 after purchasing an additional 262,912 shares during the period. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD bought a new position in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at approximately $106,605,000. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its position in HCA Healthcare by 127.3% during the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 369,704 shares of the company's stock valued at $157,568,000 after purchasing an additional 207,070 shares during the period. 62.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other HCA Healthcare news, SVP Jennifer Berres sold 8,020 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $514.58, for a total value of $4,126,931.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 11,993 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,171,357.94. This trade represents a 40.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Christopher F. Wyatt sold 4,000 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.00, for a total transaction of $2,020,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 44,379 shares of the company's stock, valued at $22,411,395. The trade was a 8.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 13,714 shares of company stock worth $7,050,460. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on HCA shares. Argus lowered their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $560.00 to $500.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $558.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Friday, March 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $525.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, HCA Healthcare has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $517.82.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

HCA opened at $426.58 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $94.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.67, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.18. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 1-year low of $330.00 and a 1-year high of $556.52. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $487.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $486.55.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $7.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($0.04). HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 295.93% and a net margin of 8.89%.The company had revenue of $19.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.45 EPS. HCA Healthcare's revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.07 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. HCA Healthcare's dividend payout ratio is currently 10.73%.

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

HCA Healthcare is a for‑profit operator of healthcare facilities headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1968, the company owns and operates a network of hospitals and related healthcare facilities and has grown through organic expansion and acquisitions to become a large provider of inpatient and outpatient services.

The company's core activities include the operation of acute care hospitals, freestanding surgical and emergency centers, and outpatient clinics. HCA's services encompass inpatient care, surgical services, emergency medicine, diagnostic imaging and laboratory testing, and various outpatient and ambulatory care offerings.

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